Solanaceae

Datura stramonium

Common Names: Common thornapple

Plant Form: Large annual herb. Size: Up to 1.5 m tall. Stem: Forking repeatedly, hairy or naked. Leaves: Diamond- to egg-shaped, to 35 x 20 cm, deeply lobed and with toothed edges. Flowers: White or pale lavender, 6-10 cm long, trumpet-shaped. Fruit and Seeds: Capsule 2-5 cm long, egg-shaped, erect, with many slender, irregular spines up to 2 cm long, releasing blackish, kidney-shaped, wrinkled seeds. Habitat: Disturbed sites, wasteland, roadsides. Distinguishing Features: Spines on the capsule shorter and flowers longer than Long-spined thornapple (Datura ferox). Impacts: Toxic to stock and humans, contaminates hay, outcompetes crop and native species.

Leaves are pointy

Fruit is large and spiny

Fruit splits to release black seeds

Flowers is usually white but centre can be purple/blue